30 mins. sometimes less. Friday night we hit a spot that seemed too shallow when we got there. Put all the rods out and within 10-15 mins we reeled in and moved. We had 8-10 rods out with no bites=wasting time lets move.

Next spot we weren't there 5 mins= fish on.

Flatheads get an extra 30 mins to eye up my perch.

30 minute rule for me.

I agree but on the bank it is a lot of work to load the truck and unload just up to you on how hard you are willing to work!

Sometimes that work pays off though, we didn't get on em til the third spot, then none spot action til we quit.

Just an example, Friday night I anchored 5 times, each time after marking good fish.
Only had a few eaters, one each from three different spots, one skunk spot.
On the fifth spot same thing, marked fish, put on fresh bait, 10-15 minutes later got a very nice one in the boat, nothing else 15 minutes after that.
It was time to go.

some good info here ... thanks!

6 hrs 13 minutes or till the skunk smell gets too strong...........

Hmmm. Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like I've been wasting a lot of time just waiting. Looks like I should change at least this much of my tactics.

Hey Crago Jr. Just checked into spodding and the marker float and wow that is some great info. That will help me out tremendously. Many thanks to you and everyone else for the input.

It's Excellent for baiting at range

I see you are fishing in a cove. I would rather fish on main lake points right now.

Blues, 30 minutes if no bites. Yellows, no more than 3 times a night.

Since theres pretty limited bank access in the areas i fish (scattered road river crossings primarily). I generally dont move, i just try casting out to different areas as far as i can and wait them out since time of day seems like a bigger deal than location to me. I know theyre there, ive never been without any bites where i fish. but the action only seems to come in small predictable windows (noon-1p, 430p-630p for anyone wondering). I should really start fishing in the mornings after i get off work or at night before going into work.

If you know the fish are there, give them longer than you normally would. If it is a new spot, no bites, less than 30 minutes I am moving. If fish have shown they are there, but no bites, you sometime have to wait them out. You could go 30 minutes with no bite, if you know they are there, and then they turn back on to the bite.

Sometimes a bite will slow when a bigger fish moves into the area. You could be catching 2-3# cats, a school of 10-15# carp move in on your chum and the cat bite will possibly stop completely, then 20 minutes later the cat bite turns on, possibly after most of the larger carp/buffalo move out.

But generally the advise others have given is on target.

yeah, thats the way i figure it. Theres also a pretty large laziness factor to take into account . i dont know theyre there for a fact since i dont have a boat or any electronics but its the guad where a bridge crosses and plenty of sunken timber and deep pools and an eddy for them to hole up in. Also pretty good amount of baitfish schools off the side of the main current, if only i could throw a castnet 50 feet or so to nab some. But overall the time i spend in one place is dictated by when my girlfriend calls me and tells me i need to leave and come home